The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily preserved nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone through mail delivery and telehealth services while legal challenges continue.
Justice Samuel Alito extended an administrative stay Monday that was set to expire the same day. The order will now remain in effect until Thursday at 5 p.m. ET. Alito did not provide an explanation for the extension.
Legal Battle Over Mifepristone Continues
The Supreme Court is reviewing an emergency request from pharmaceutical companies seeking to block a lower court ruling that would restrict mifepristone from being prescribed through telehealth appointments or mailed to patients.
The case was originally brought by the state of Louisiana, where abortion is largely banned. State officials argue federal regulators failed to fully evaluate safety risks when they removed the requirement for in-person doctor visits before prescribing the medication.
Drug Remains Widely Used
Abortion rights advocates, medical groups, and drug manufacturers maintain that extensive safety reviews were completed and note that mifepristone has a lower rate of serious complications than medications such as penicillin or Viagra.
Mifepristone became a major focus of legal disputes after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In 2024, the court unanimously rejected a separate challenge to the drug, ruling the plaintiffs lacked legal standing.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, medication abortions accounted for nearly two-thirds of abortions in 2023. Mifepristone is commonly used with misoprostol for abortions and miscarriage management during early pregnancy.
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